'He Is So- Pragmatic! ' Poem by Sidi Mahtrow

He is so pragmatic begins the quote
As the learned ones do dote
On the subject of his (or her) affections
Without consideration of the implications.

In the twinkling of an eye
One's memory draws nye
And comes forth with an understanding
Of a definition of 'pragmatism.'

As taught in school long ago
To be pragmatic is so –
A pragmatic person is
One not to be reasoned with.

For they are fixed in their way
And arguments will not sway
For they are sure they are right
And to disagree may start a fight.

Alas, woe is me,
It seems another definition is here to see.
The new meaning is to award
An intellect worthy of the Bard.

For when 'he' is pragmatic,
It is assumed; that is automatic,
That he is (as Webster directs) ,
A student of cause and effects.

But before you settle on this alone,
Consider other meanings dwelt upon.
'Officious or meddlesome,
Self-important or busy', are some.

Perhaps, most to the point of late,
Is 'pertaining to the affairs of a community or state'
But rarely it is supposed to be
That 'active or skilled in business.' is he.

Or consider another of Webster's tomes,
The Dictionary of Synonyms,
That list as alternative words to see,
Officious, meddlesome, impertinent, intrusive, or obtrusive.

By comparison and to give meaning to pragmatic and its usage,
Webster stresses 'the disposition to busy oneself fussily,
Especially in that which is not ones's own affair;
It also carries a stronger connotation
Of self-importance or self-assurance'
As example cited, 'like some pragmatical
Old coxcomb represented on the stage'
(quote from Francis Burney, English novelist,)

So I defer to Noah in an earlier era
(In his dictionary of the 1856 year)
Wherein 'Pragmatic' he tells
As 'very positive' or 'dictatorial'

If you prefer, from the English shore,
Johnson's Dictionary of wordly lore,
Where he defines 'pragmatic' as one
Who is 'meddling; impertinently busy;
Assuming business without leave or invitation.'

A bit harsh I admit,
But of Samuel Johnson be wary,
For he was know to carry
Biases into his dictionary.

So for a current definition of such terms,
We must return
To that great philosopher
And Constitutional Scholar
Who reminded us
That the meaning of words
Is often unclear, as example,
Different meanings of the word 'is, ' are more than ample.

s

***
While from the same base, pragmatic, pragmatic method and pragmatism seem to have evolved different meanings. From a philosopher's viewpoint, William James considered 'pragmatism' in the sense that if the outcome is the same, it matters not which path you take. Thus if one is twisting in the wind, being overwhelmed with facts, and rendered indecisive, fates dictate the outcome. Lecture II, What Pragmatism Means (1906) .

So, place your bet and take your chances.